Opposition groups face new rift in Malaysia<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Opposition leaders on Monday downplayed a
\ndispute that has flared amid accusations that a mostly ethnic
\nMalay Muslim party is siphoning members from its ethnic Chinese
\npartner in Malaysia's main opposition coalition.<\/p>\n
Senior officials of the National Justice Party denied that
\ntheir bureau in northern Penang state recently accepted
\napplications to join the party from several key members of the
\nDemocratic Action Party (DAP), the country's largest Chinese
\nopposition group.<\/p>\n
"There are some inaccuracies in that," Tian Chua, the Justice
\nParty's vice president, told The Associated Press. "We will work
\nit out with the DAP."<\/p>\n
Chua claimed that local media reports regarding the matter
\nwere designed to divert the public's attention from problems
\nwithin the ruling National Front coalition. He said that the
\nChinese party's leaders were misled by the reports because of
\ncommunication weaknesses between the parties.<\/p>\n
On Monday, the chief of the Chinese party's northern division
\nsaid that it would immediately "loosen" relations with the
\nJustice Party, which is known as Keadilan in the Malay language.<\/p>\n
"We are upset that Keadilan has chosen to treat us like a foe
\nrather than a comrade in the same struggle," said Chow Kon Yeow.
\n"This is not an honorable way to treat a fraternal party (that
\nhas) gone all the way to help prop up Keadilan."<\/p>\n
Lim Kit Siang, the Chinese party's high-profile national
\nchairman, said he did not want to attend any discussions on the
\nmatter.<\/p>\n
"I find such a situation most disappointing as well as
\nexasperating," Lim said.<\/p>\n
The Justice Party was founded by Azizah Ismail, the wife of
\njailed politician Anwar Ibrahim, two years ago after Prime
\nMinister Mahathir Mohamad fired Anwar as his deputy. The party
\nsays it is fighting for sweeping democratic reforms which can
\nonly be achieved through Mahathir's ouster.<\/p>\n
The opposition insists that Mahathir had his former protege
\nframed for corruption and sodomy to rout Anwar's political
\nchallenge. Anwar is serving two prison terms totaling 15 years,
\nbut Mahathir denies he had anything to do with the charges.<\/p>\n
The Justice Party and the Democratic Action Party banded with
\ntwo other opposition parties in an attempt to unseat Mahathir in
\ngeneral elections in 1999. But the coalition failed to deny
\nMahathir's ruling group its traditional two-thirds majority in
\nParliament, although an Islamic fundamentalist party made inroads
\nin several mainly Malay regions.<\/p>\n
The opposition coalition, whose partners each have different
\nideologies and goals, is often plagued by internal squabbling. It
\nnearly fell apart last November when both the Justice Party and
\nthe Chinese party wanted to field a candidate from their
\nrespective parties in a closely watched by-election.<\/p>",
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